Past Faculty Showcases

February 27, 2026

The 2026 Faculty and Staff Showcase on AI features presentations on AI and research, AI and Teaching, and AI and Higher Education. Sessions are labeled “Research,” “Teaching,” and “Higher Education” should you choose to follow a track. All sessions will be held the ADP Center, first floor of University Hall.

Breakfast and registration: 8:45-9:30 am

ADP Center Commons

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Session 1: 9:30-10:30 am

TEACHING: Rethinking Learning in the Age of AI: Assessment, Integrity, and Student Growth (UH 1120)

Barry Bachenheimer (Educational Leadership), ChatGPT or CheatGPT?: Redesigning Assessment, Plagiarism, and Assignments in the Age of Generative AI
Grace Cook (Mathematics, BCMSU), Low-Stakes, High Impact: Using ChatGPT to Build Formative Assessments
Pavlo Lushyn (Educational Foundations), AI as a Mirror: Turning “Teaching with AI” into Facilitated Student Self-Development
Moderator: John Yi (CTAI)

RESEARCH: Reading the World with AI?: Ethics, Archives, and Qualitative Inquiry (UH 1143)

Adam Rzepka (English), Archival Intelligence: AI Ethics and the History of Ideas
Susana Juniu (Kinesiology), AI in qualitative research
Moderator: Catherine Keohane (OFE)

HIGHER EDUCATION: Building the AI-Enabled University: Advising, Credit Evaluation, and Program Navigation (UH 1145)

Adam Mayer and Albert Antomattei (University College Career Services and Academic Programming), Major Mentor: A No-Code AI Approach to Supporting Pre-Major Students
Julianne Vitale (Office of the Registrar), Transfer to AI – How the Registrar’s Office Implemented AI to Streamline Transfer Credit Evaluations
Matthew Shurts (Counseling), From Handbooks to Helpful: Deploying a Guardrailed Custom GPT for Program Support
Moderator: Vera Senina (OFE)

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Session 2: 10:45-11:45 am

TEACHING: Teaching With AI: Simulation, Design, and Human-Centered Practice (UH 1120)

Joseph DiNapoli (Mathematics), Approximating Teacher-Student Interaction: An AI-Based Chat Simulation in a Mathematics Methods Course
Hongbo Zhou (School of Computing), AI-Assisted Design and Development of Human-Centered Applications
Alicia M. Rivera (Graduate Assistant) and Soyoung Lee (Family Science & Human Development), Preparing Students to Work With Diverse Families and Children: Teaching and Learning About AI as a Tool
Moderator: Weitian Wang (School of Computing)

RESEARCH: Affective Intelligence in Motion: Emotion AI and Humanoid Robot Design (UH 1121)

Rui Li (School of Computing), Emotion AI in Intelligent Machine
Jesse Parron (School of Computing), Integration of AI in NAO Humanoid Robot
Moderator: Trina Chance O’Gorman (OFE)

RESEARCH: The Future of Discovery: AI Tools, Changing Literature Searching Practices, and the Future of Research (UH 1143)

Justin Savage, Catherine Baird, Jacob Bilek, and Renu Sharma (University Libraries)
Moderator: Courtney Crimmins (OFE)

HIGHER EDUCATION: AI with Intention: Decision-Making, Recruitment, and Institutional Readiness (UH 1145)

Suresh Murugan (Information Technology), Daniel Anzalone (Information Technology), AI Reality Check: Making Informed Decisions Beyond the Hype
Jordanna Maziarz, Julissa Duran, and Larissa Lamont (Undergraduate Admissions), Scaling Up Without Stressing Out: Undergraduate Admissions’ AI Recruiter Initiative
Moderator: Emily Isaacs (Senior Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs)

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Lunch: 12-1 pm

Remarks from Interim Provost Fatma Mili

ADP Center Commons

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Session 3: 1-2 pm

TEACHING: Teaching by Design: Prompt Engineering, Pedagogical Risk, and Responsible AI Use (UH 1120)

Sarah Ghoshal (Writing Studies), Prompt Engineering and Requirements Gathering: Getting the Most Out of AI for our Students
Yi Luo (Communication and Media) and Ashwin Vaidya (Mathematics), AI as Pedagogical Intervention: Creativity, Risk, and Responsibility
Moderator: Courtney Crimmins (OFE)

RESEARCH: The Work of Understanding: Human Sensemaking and Machine Reading of Argument (UH 1121)

Noriko Takahashi (Graduate Assistant), Alina Reznitskaya (Educational Foundations), and Abraham Onuorah (Graduate Assistant), Using Argument Chains to Support Automated Scoring of Argumentative Writing
Seán McCarthy (Writing Studies), Muddling Through: Sensemaking as Method for Writing with AI
Moderator: Catherine Keohane (OFE)

RESEARCH: AI is Not the Next Generation of the Internet (UH 1143)

Ruben Xing, David  Eisenberg, and Kyungmyung (KJ) Jang (School of Business)
Moderator: Joe Yankus (CTAI/ITDS)

AI WORKING GROUP PRESENTATION (UH 1145)

AI Curricular Development: Emily Rutter (Academic Affairs, BCMSU), Denell Downum (Writing Studies)
AI Website and Database Development: Vera Senina (Office for Faculty Excellence) and Jestina Casas (Information Technology)
AI Opportunities: Jordanna Maziarz (Undergraduate Admissions)
AI Policies: Harold Andrieux (Human Resources)
AI Fluency & Competency Development: Patrick Scioscia (Instructional Technology) and Justin Savage (University Libraries)
Moderator: Emily Isaacs (Senior Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs)

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Session 4: 2:15-3:15 pm

TEACHING: Designing Inclusive Learning With AI: From IEP Collaboration to Active Classroom Work  (UH 1120)

Treasa Praino (Teaching & Learning), Using Ethical AI to Support and Teach Collaborative, Asset-Based IEP Practice
Yikang Shi (School of Computing), Augmenting Active Learning with Artificial Intelligence
Alfredo Toro Carnevali (Political Science and Law), Bringing the Socratic Chatbot into the Classroom
Moderator: Courtney Crimmins (OFE)

 RESEARCH: AI at Work: Infrastructure, Interpretation, and Real‑World Decision-Making (UH 1143)

Chao Huang (School of Computing), Towards Efficient Deployment and Use of Large Language Models at the Edge
Yi Luo (Communication and Media), Reimagining Strategic Communication Through AI
Figen Suchanek (Natural & Applied Science, BCMSU), Paula Perez (Student), Brianna Philippe (Student), Prompt Engineering for Environmental Modeling with Real-World Ozone and Weather Data
Moderator: Yanling Sun (CTAI)

RESEARCH: Toward Trustworthy Clinical AI: From Decision Support to Diagnostic Evaluation (UH 1145)

Hao Liu and Michelle Zhu (School of Computing), A Clinically Grounded AI Chatbot For Heart Failure Decision Support Using RAG And Real-World Clinical Data
Debapriya Hazra (School of Computing), Evaluating hallucination and diagnostic reliability of LLMs on medical image-based multiple choice tasks
Hao Liu (School of Computing), TrialMind: An LLM Agent Framework for Automated Clinical Trial Eligibility Assessment Using Electronic Health Records
Moderator: Joe Yankus (CTAI/ITDS)

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The AI Showcase is cosponsored by the Office for Faculty Excellence (OFE), ADP Center, University Libraries, College of Science and Mathematics, Information Technology Division, Center for Teaching and Academic Innovation (CTAI), the University AI Working Group, the Montclair AI Hub, and the School of Computing.

Breakfast and lunch are provided by the Office for Faculty Excellence (OFE), University Libraries, College of Science and Mathematics, and Information Technology Division.

May 6, 2025

The Spring 2025 Faculty Showcase features presentations on research, teaching, and community engagement. All rooms are inside the ADP Center, first floor of University Hall.

Breakfast and registration: 9-9:30

ADP Center Commons
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Session 1: 9:30-10:30

Campus Collaboration and Community Engagement (UH 1120)

Melissa Baralt (Biology), “Planting and Nourishing Your Seed: Is Your Garden Growing?”
Phoebe Farber (Theater and Dance) and Elenice De Souza Oliveira (Justice Studies), “Imagining Models of Justice”
Moderator: David Vincenti, Information Management and Business Analytics

2024-2025 TIP Teams (UH 1121)

Haiyan Su, STAT 109 (GenEd Statistics)
Alan Blanco, FMTV 120 (Filmmaking I)
Henk Eshuis, CHEM 120 & 121 (Intro & General Chemistry)
Yan Kong, CSIT 104 (Python)
Moderator: Vera Senina, OFE

Curricula Innovations I (UH 1143)

Grace Cook (Bloomfield College, Computer and Mathematical Sciences), “Meet Your New Major: Informatics”
Donald L Crooks (School of Business), “‘Perception is Reality’: Are we FAILING to Prepare our Students?”, with Dr Jet Mboga, and students,  Michael Delaney, Nkechi Whitaker, Suzanne Shiobara, and Andrew Simon
Moderator: Courtney Crimmins, OFE

Developments in AI and Research (UH 1145)

Rui Li (School of Computing), “Emotions in Human-Machine Interaction”
Weitian Wang (School of Computing), “Montclair AI Hub: An Interdisciplinary and Innovation-driven Collaborative Cluster for AI Research and Development”
Chao Huang (Computer Science), “Collaborative Machine Learning on The Edge”
Moderator: Catherine Keohane, OFE
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Session 2: 10:45-11:45

HEAL Fellows I (UH 1120)

Alicia A. Broderick (Teaching and Learning), “Disrupting Institutionalized Neuronormativity through the Development of an Institute for Neurodivergent Innovation & Leadership”
Livia Alexander (Art and Design) and John Soboslai (Religion), “Power and Providence: Prototyping Pedagogy through Historical Role-Play and Game Design”
Moderator: Catherine Keohane, OFE

Research: Self- and Community-Understanding (UH 1121)

Blanca Elizabeth Vega (Educational Leadership) and Jane Sanchez Swain (University College), “HSI Student Leadership: Countering the Dominant Leadership Narrative”
Drew Wallace (University Libraries), “Foregrounding Epistemic Justice in Human Subject Research: A Montclair Faculty Collaboration”
Moderator: Courtney Crimmins, OFE

AI and Teaching (UH 1143)

Alfredo Toro Carnevali (Political Science and Law), “Exploring AI as a Pedagogical Tool: Lessons from the Classroom”
Deborah Chatr Aryamontri (Classics and General Humanities), “ChatGPT in the Classical World Classroom: AI Tools for Critical Thinking and Student Engagement”
Koen DePryck (Challenge-based Impact Lab), “Using AI to Support Stakeholder Management in Challenge Based Learning”
Moderator: Vera Senina, OFE

Teaching Strategies for Civic Engagement (UH 1145)

Natascia Boeri (Social & Behavioral Sciences, BCMSU),“Open Educational Resources for Civic Engagement and Voting Rights”
Daniela Peterka-Benton (Global Center on Human Trafficking), “Education as a Tool to Combat Human Trafficking”
Eunice Park (Public Health), “Democratic Practices in a Public Health Ethics Class”
Moderator: David Vincenti, Information Management and Business Analytics
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Lunch: 12-1

ADP Center Commons
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Session 3: 1-2

What does language communicate? (UN 1120)

Adam Rzepka (English), “Can We Mean What We Say?”
Bond Benton (Strategic Communication) and Daniela Peterka-Benton (Global Center on Human Trafficking), “Studying Misinformation – A Cross Disciplinary Perspective”
Moderator: Catherine Keohane, OFE

Student Engagement (UH 1143)

Martina Santia (Political Science and Law), “Harnessing Student Agency in Public Relations Campaigns Courses”
Jerise Fogel (Classics and General Humanities), “Humanities Labs: Thinking about Hands-On Activities for the Arts and Literature”
Fiona Harris Ramsby and Nora McCook (Humanities, BCMSU), “Presentation and Process in the Age of AI: First Year Writing at Bloomfield College”
Moderator: Jessica Murphy, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Success, and Academic Innovation

HEAL Fellows II (UH 1145)

Blanca Elizabeth Vega (Educational Leadership), “Understanding the Role of Faculty at an HSI: Toward a Framework of Servingness Pedagogy”
Chris Donoghue (Sociology),  “Enhancing Student Belonging & Resilience in Higher Education: A Competing Demands Framework”
Moderator: Emily Isaacs, Interim Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs
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Session 4: 2:15-3:15

Research on Teaching and Learning (UH 1120)

Joseph DiNapoli (Mathematics),“The Relationship between Instructional Time and Perseverance Growth in Montclair Elementary Pre-Service Teachers”
Ilse Wambacq (Communication Sciences and Disorders &Challenge-based Impact Lab), and Koen DePryck (Challenge-based Impact Lab),  “Advancing Undergraduate Satisfaction through Challenge-Based Learning: Student Perspectives on Key Competencies and Practical Implementation”
Brandon Fralix (Bloomfield College Humanities), “”National Trends in Writing Instruction: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Census of Writing”
Moderator: Vera Senina, OFE

The Classroom and the Self (UH 1143)

Robert Donnelly (School of Communications), “Develop your Personal Brand to Market Yourself More Effectively in the New World of Work”
William Colucci (Information Management and Business Analytics), “Crash Course in the Conservative Worldview for Curious Denizens of the Left/Liberal Echo Chamber”
David Vincenti (Information Management and Business Analytics), “Updating Our Stories – Advice for Adjuncts”
Moderator: Catherine Keohane, OFE

Curricula Innovations II (UH 1145)

Jonathan Howell, Lauren Covey, and Larissa Goulart (Linguistics), “Getting students involved in your research: A course-based solution”
Esperanza Brizuela-Garcia (History), “Building a Public Purpose: The Ken Brook Archive History Harvest”
Moderator: Courtney Crimmins, OFE

December 11, 2024

The Fall 2024 Faculty Showcase on AI features presentations on AI and research, and on AI and Teaching. Sessions are labeled “Research” or “Teaching” if you choose to follow a track. All rooms are inside the ADP Center, first floor of University Hall.

Breakfast and registration: 9:30-10

ADP Center Commons

Breakfast sponsored by University Libraries and the Office for Undergraduate Education, Success, and Academic Innovation.

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Session 1: 10-10:50

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Session 2: 11-11:50

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Session 3: 12:12-50

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Lunch: 12:50-1:30

ADP Center Commons

May 8, 2024

Keynote address:

Self-Regulation of Creativity: Transforming Ideas Into Products
Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, Senior Research Scientist, Yale School of Medicine

Panel 1: Generative AI Use Cases

(10-10:50,  UH 1120)

“Augmenting Student Writing through Instructional AI” – Ethné Swartz, Adrienne Wallace and Fabian Jimenez (Management)

“From Amusement Parks to Speed Dating: Using ChatGPT to Build Nontraditional Assessments” – Edward Sagendorf (History)

“Is GAI the Tool That Will (Finally) Allow for the Application of Individualized Instruction for All Students?” – Jen Whiting (Writing Studies) 

Panel 2: Lightning Talks

(11:00-11:30, UH 1120) 

“Enhancing Qualitative Research: Exploring the Impact of Generative AI Feedback in a Sociology Capstone Course” –Natascia Boeri (Social & Behavioral Sciences, Bloomfield College of Montclair State University)

“Chatting in Math Class: Teaming up with AI” – Grace Cook (Mathematics, Bloomfield College of Montclair State University)

“Generating Fun Assignments with ChatGPT” –Tina Huesing (Management)

Panel 3: Challenging Generative AI: Honesty, Policy, and the Future of Education

(11:45-12:45, UH 1120)

“Does Cheating Measure Understanding? (Or: Can GenAI Understand it for Me?)” – Kirk McDermid (Philosophy)

“I have read and agree to the T&C? Unpacking Generative AI Terms & Conditions with students”  – Lynette Surie (Writing Studies)

“Paradoxes of Education in the Context of AI” – Pavlo Lushyn (Educational Foundations) 

Lunch and Information Desks

(12:45-2, ADP Center Commons)

Enjoy lunch and visit our information desks, staffed by the event organizers from the ADP Center, ITDS, and OFE:

Hands-on, Experimenting – Joseph Bavazzano (ADP Center)

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty – Courtney Crimmins (OFE)

Prompt Engineering – Joseph Yankus and Gina Policastro (ITDS)

GenAI Syllabus Policy Creation – Vera Senina (OFE)

May 2, 2023

2023 Teaching and Learning Showcase 

Recordings and materials from select sessions from our 2023 Showcase on May 2. To access, you will need a Montclair NetID.